Unit Facing Direction more critical ?

[DIVM]

Hi,

so I know in the manual this is addressed as considering the units smart enough to face the right direction and keep an eye on all sides as much as possible, but I still wonder if that's enough?

I was playing the last scenario of the Czech campaign, and knowing I was facing a bunch of Leopard units with just T-55s, I keep the Leopards distracted with most of my units from the front （our east to west movement） plus barrages of artillery; while I was sending T-55s from the back (hills covered in forests) and hopefully attacking the weaker rears by surprised (and given their Leaopards numbers are much lower, being hopeful it would be enough having them sandwiched between the two forces).

However, 4 hexes away, while I was still fairly covered/concealed (around 70-73%) the Leopards were already firing at me before I had even shot at them.

I'm not military, but I found it hard to believe that the units, under fired from the front and from artillery, still had all that much capacity to detect and shoot at my T-55 coming from the back forest.

Would it make more sense to have units LOS extending further, with increased accuracy and maybe in a 180 degrees fov in the direction they are fighting or moving? And much less to their backs? Of course, once they are attacked, this would go back to normal, and (I guess this is already in a way working like this) dividing their attacks between the two directions.

It just that right now units LOS seemed to be working in 360 degrees at all times, making flanking and rear surprise attacks kind of much less successful or worth the risk.

[CapnDarwin]

We have discussed a few times the desire for better facing mechanics to refine both spotting and combat. We may come back to this down the road when we have time to refactor the code in those areas.

[DIVM]

I think it's something that could be embedded into the SOP, like "watch priorities" or "spotting stance", and having one for "360 degrees" with reduced speed when moving or needing to be in Hold.

Others could be "Enemy or Moving direction", something like 180 degrees with increased spotting chances and reduces response time, while their back has reduced spotting chances and increased response time.

Maybe a third one "Automatic" that uses 180 when moving, and when Screening rotate that 180 a hex side per minute?

Probably could have different spotting stances options standing vs moving vs fighting.